Teen drama series are fairly predictable, yet the concept of upper-middle-class (or just plain upper class) kids attending high school and battling the same issues over and over again never seems to get old. The TV-Land version of the high school experience is in many ways, much more enjoyable to watch than our own real life adolescence was to endure. This is probably why shows like ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ and ‘Saved By The Bell’ were so successful.
Last year I discussed The Evolution of the Teen Drama Series by comparing various teen centered TV shows. Since writing that, I started thinking more about the teen drama clichés that we’ve seen in a number of popular shows though the years. What makes a high school based TV show successful? Is it the atmosphere? The characters? The various scenarios the characters are put in? All of the above.
While successful teen drama series tend to sensationalize high school, other shows approached adolescence more realistically and unfortunately, it wasn’t what the people wanted – at least not enough of them. Short-lived teen series like ‘My So Called Life’ and ‘Freaks and Geeks’ were set in familiar looking high schools in regular towns. The characters weren’t wealthy, nor extraordinarily good-looking. This is not to say that they were poor or ugly but they all tended to have a more normal look to them. They wore normal clothes and attended schools that were as close to real life as a scripted drama would allow.
Neither ‘Life’ nor ‘Freaks’ lasted more than a season though which just goes to show, no matter how well a show is written, the majority of viewers prefer the glitz and glamour of Hollywood High much more than they do a high school in Anytown, USA. I should say that while the ratings never panned out for these shows, there was a sizable fan base for them.
So what is it about high schools set in Sunny Southern California that appeals to viewers? Why is it that we require our TV-Teens to be put in extreme situations in order for them to be watchable season after season? Is it the location and general look of the show that makes it more appealing to viewers? The glamour of attending high school on one of those beautiful TV Land campuses?
Schools in shows like ‘Buffy’ and ‘90210’ are always extremely clean, well lit, freshly painted and overly colorful. In fact, ‘Buffy’s’ Sunnydale High inherited part of the ‘90210’ campus (which was actually a real life high school in Torrance, CA). Though the inside of the two schools appeared to be different, both had the same front steps as well as the gorgeous courtyard with the staircase. Each school had its own trademark interior. ‘90210’ had the infamous hallway with the DJ booth while ‘Buffy’ had that amazing library that didn’t quite match the rest of the campus.
The kids don’t spend every minute of every day in school though. They always have that one place where they gather outside of school just about every day (because homework and after school jobs only ever applied to the over-achievers in TV Land high school) . The Peach Pit. The Bronze. The Max. I never bought the fact that all of the kids in ‘90210’ could each cheeseburgers (sorry, “mega-burgers”) and fries every day and still stay so thin. At least with ‘Buffy’ they mostly ingested copious amounts of coffee and the occasional muffin at The Bronze.
I don’t think it’s the atmosphere alone that draws in high ratings with these shows year after year. The drama is most likely what keeps viewers hanging on.
While ‘My So Called Life’ and ‘Freaks and Geeks’ did touch on some of the more serious teen issues, the shows didn’t dive into them head first the way shows like ‘90210’ or ‘The OC’ did. I’ll admit, I never got past the pilot of ‘The OC’ so I cant use any examples from that show but I did watch every episode of ‘90210’ (more than once) so that’s what I have to work with here.
Here are some things that ‘90210’s’ Brandon and Brenda Walsh faced in high school:
Brandon – crashed his car while driving drunk, got drugged by his horny girlfriend who later tried to torch herself, got to appear in an episode of a famous TV show, dated a figure skater, and got dangerously deep into sports gambling (for a couple of episodes).
Brenda – thought she had breast cancer, thought she was pregnant, got tricked into ratting out her friends inner most secrets on a major TV show, nearly got shot in a hold up at The Peach Pit, got to go to Paris for the summer where she pretended she was French so she could hang out with a clueless American guy and had her boyfriend cheat on her with her best friend.
And then there was everything that happened to their friends. Kelly got hooked on diet pills. Steve found out he was adopted. Donna got trashed at the prom and nearly didn’t graduate. David’s dad married Kelly’s mom, making him Kelly’s brother and solidifying his place in the group. Then of course, there was Dylan’s dad getting blown up. As ridiculous as these situations are, it’s pretty much this kind of drama that is required to keep a teen drama show on the air on one of the major networks.
In the last decade or so, there have been a number of popular high school drama series that not only managed to survive past the first season but also lasted beyond the inevitable graduation day (which is often the point in the series when the show reaches its peak). I credit two networks for managing to allow some of these lower-rated shows to remain on the air. The WB and UPN both hosted some great teen drama series. (The networks merged last year and became The CW.) Shows like ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Smallville,’ ‘One Tree Hill,’ and ‘Veronica Mars’ have thrived on these networks despite not delivering huge ratings.
Having a supportive network isn’t the only reason the shows have managed to last more than a season or two. It seems the creators of the series must have realized that going to high school and dealing with the pressures of adolescence isn’t enough to drive a show. This is why so many of the truly successful teen drama series in recent years have an extra layer of story that carries the show past high school. In ‘Smallville’ it’s Clark Kent dealing with his destiny. The same would apply to ‘Buffy’ though her destiny was slightly different. ‘Veronica Mars’ has the mystery element. This added layer is something the writers have used to make the same old TV high school clichés new again for viewers. For example, when Buffy lost her virginity, instead of the guy not calling the next day, he lost his soul and went all evil. You have to give Whedon credit. That’s an original twist.
‘Veronica Mars’ graduated from high school last year and it seems the third season is somewhat reminiscent to the fourth season of ‘Buffy,’ which was the Scoobies’ first year out of high school. Its been a bit of a rocky start for ‘Mars’ in its first post-high-school season but I believe without a doubt that if the CW allows the show to have a fourth season, the writers will get things back on track. Perhaps if they realized that they don’t need to rush Veronica into adulthood and tone down some of the mysteries (the most recent one was the murder of the dean) so that she (and we) can enjoy the college years a bit more, the show will be worth keeping around.
I could probably do a whole column on what happens to teen dramas when the characters graduate from high school but as this article is already long enough, I’ll save that for another day. In the meantime, though its been over ten years since I’ve set foot in a high school, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy watching a good high school drama series every now and then.
’Grease: You’re the One That I Want’ (NBC) 8:00 pm
(New!) – One of the Sandy’s is eliminated and the potential Danny’s perform.
’Desperate Housewives’ (ABC) 9:00 pm
My Husband, The Pig- (New!) – Rex Van De Kamp narrates the episode. Gaby dates someone new and Danielle Van De Tramp finds out she’s pregnant.
’Battlestar Galactica’ (SCIFI) 10:00 pm
Maelstrom - (New!) – Starbuck fans have been waiting for this episode for months. After three light episodes, the show gets back on track when Kara deals with some of her inner demons.
Watch: ’24’ (Fox) 9:00 pm
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm- (New!) – Last week was a somewhat mild episode but ended with an attempt to assassinate President Palmer’s life. This week deals with the aftermath of that and Jack continues to work with Logan.
TiVo: ’Heroes’ (NBC) 9:00 pm
Parasites- (New!) – Nathan gets to meet Linderman face to face (maybe we’ll actually get to see this guy too!). Hiro continues on his mission to find the sword.
’The Black Donnellys’ (NBC) 10:00 pm
A Stone Of The Heart- (New!) – I didn’t fall in love with the pilot of this show (which aired last week) but I liked it enough to watch the second episode and see what happens now that the Donnellys appear to have taken over the neighborhood.
’American Idol’ (Fox) 8:00 pm
(New!) – The top 8 male singers perform.
”House” (Fox) 9:00 pm
Half-wit (New!) – Dave Mathews guest stars in this episode as a savant piano player with hand problems.
’American Idol’ (FOX) 8:00 pm
(New!) – The top 8 female singers perform.
”Jericho” (CBS) 8:00 pm
Heart of Winter (New!) – Winter makes things worse for Jericho. Hawkins and Sarah make a startling discovery. More startling than learning that the country is divided and there’s now a handful of “presidents” running things?
”Lost” (ABC) 10:00 pm
Enter 77 (New!) – Kate, Lock and Sayid meet the eye-patch guy. Sawyer has to compete in a table tennis match to get his stuff back.
Sweeps is over and most of the shows (including ‘The Office,’ ‘Earl,’ ‘Ugly Betty,’ ‘Smallville,’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’) are still in reruns tonight.
”American Idol” (FOX) 8:00 pm
Two more guys and two more girls are voted off. The final 12 contestants are (FINALLY!) revealed.
”Scrubs” (NBC) 9:00 pm
My Fishbowl (New!) – Dr. Cox doesn’t think Carla’s jokes are very funny
'30 Rock' (NBC) 9:00 pm
The Fighting Irish (New!) – Jack hires his brother (played by Nathan Lane) and Liz has to make cutbacks among the staff. This show has gotten funnier and funnier with each new episode. Hopefully this one is no exception.
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (ENCRw) 9:15 pm
When was the last time you actually watched this movie? A bunch of kids get shrunk down to bug-size and have their own Goonies adventure through the backyard. Mmm… giant cookie…
Volcano: Nature Unleashed (SCIFI) 7:00 pm
A scientist tries to warn the people of a small town that there’s a giant volcano about to erupt but do they listen? No. I haven’t seen this movie but I’m willing to bet that people get melted in it.
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